It is anticipated that a strong solar eruption on Thursday night will intensify the northern lights, potentially allowing for the viewing of dazzling sky displays as far south as Alabama and Northern California.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a “severe” geomagnetic storm was caused by solar particles and other elements that reached Earth at 11:17 a.m. ET on Thursday.
Large clouds of plasma are propelled into space by solar eruptions called coronal mass ejections, which cause these kinds of solar storms. The planet’s magnetic field collides with charged particle plumes directed towards it, colliding with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere to create brilliant auroras.
Skywatchers in Canada and many northern U.S. states, such as Alaska, Washington state, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, should be able to see the northern lights at their best if the weather is clear. Parts of Northern California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York may also see extremely active auroras.
Since May 10, when the Space Weather Prediction Center recorded an even stronger and much rarer solar storm, this week’s solar storm is the most severe. The NOAA had not issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch since 2005 prior to the May incident.
This geomagnetic storm is predicted to linger until Friday, according to the NOAA, though it may yet intensify.
However, solar storms may have unfavorable effects.
The NOAA stated that if power grids are interfered with, communications systems are compromised, or GPS satellites are taken offline, the solar storm may have an impact on the Southeast’s current recovery operations from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The Space Weather Prediction Center provided an update on Thursday stating that “systems that depend on low-Earth orbit satellites or High-Frequency communication may experience disruptions.” The center also mentioned that it had communicated with state and federal officials.
Although strong solar storms can produce the northern lights, commonly known as the aurora borealis, to appear far further south than usual, they are usually only seen at high latitudes.
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The sun’s activity cycles last around 11 years, ranging from minimum to maximum. Skywatchers have been treated to numerous breathtaking displays of the northern lights this year, as it ramps up toward an estimated peak in July 2025, according to the NOAA.
Short-term forecasts of the northern lights, along with maps showing their projected locations and experimental methods for estimating strength, are available on the NOAA’s aurora dashboard.
